Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1992 Jan;66(1):325–333. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.1.325-333.1992

Transcriptional activation of several heterologous promoters by the E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 16.

C Desaintes 1, S Hallez 1, P Van Alphen 1, A Burny 1
PMCID: PMC238291  PMID: 1309249

Abstract

The E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16), along with E7, is responsible for the HPV-induced malignant transformation of the cervix. However, the mechanism of this transformation activity is not well understood. We investigated whether the entire E6 protein of HPV-16 could act as an activator of transcription. Experiments in which NIH 3T3 cells were cotransfected with an E6 expression vector together with the reporter chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene linked to various minimal promoters indicated that E6 could activate transcription from a series of viral TATA-containing promoters. Mutations or deletions that affected all upstream regulatory elements present in the thymidine kinase (TK) promoter, such as the GC and CAAT boxes, reduced the level of E6-induced transcription. However, compared with the basal level, these truncated promoters were still activated by E6. Although site-directed mutations of the TATA sequence present in the TK or human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat promoters reduced the level of basal transcription, they did not abolish the E6-mediated activation. Moreover, E6 could restore almost completely the full level of wild-type E6-induced transcription as long as the upstream regulatory elements (GC/CAAT in the TK promoter, NF-kappa B in the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat) were intact. This dual interaction of HPV-16 E6 is reminiscent of the activity of a coactivator.

Full text

PDF
325

Images in this article

328Image
on p.328
328Image
on p.328
329Image
on p.329
330Image
on p.330

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baker C. C., Phelps W. C., Lindgren V., Braun M. J., Gonda M. A., Howley P. M. Structural and transcriptional analysis of human papillomavirus type 16 sequences in cervical carcinoma cell lines. J Virol. 1987 Apr;61(4):962–971. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.4.962-971.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barbosa M. S., Lowy D. R., Schiller J. T. Papillomavirus polypeptides E6 and E7 are zinc-binding proteins. J Virol. 1989 Mar;63(3):1404–1407. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.3.1404-1407.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bargonetti J., Friedman P. N., Kern S. E., Vogelstein B., Prives C. Wild-type but not mutant p53 immunopurified proteins bind to sequences adjacent to the SV40 origin of replication. Cell. 1991 Jun 14;65(6):1083–1091. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90560-l. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bosch F. X., Schwarz E., Boukamp P., Fusenig N. E., Bartsch D., zur Hausen H. Suppression in vivo of human papillomavirus type 18 E6-E7 gene expression in nontumorigenic HeLa X fibroblast hybrid cells. J Virol. 1990 Oct;64(10):4743–4754. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.10.4743-4754.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cole S. T., Danos O. Nucleotide sequence and comparative analysis of the human papillomavirus type 18 genome. Phylogeny of papillomaviruses and repeated structure of the E6 and E7 gene products. J Mol Biol. 1987 Feb 20;193(4):599–608. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(87)90343-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cress W. D., Triezenberg S. J. Critical structural elements of the VP16 transcriptional activation domain. Science. 1991 Jan 4;251(4989):87–90. doi: 10.1126/science.1846049. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dynan W. S., Tjian R. The promoter-specific transcription factor Sp1 binds to upstream sequences in the SV40 early promoter. Cell. 1983 Nov;35(1):79–87. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90210-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dürst M., Gissmann L., Ikenberg H., zur Hausen H. A papillomavirus DNA from a cervical carcinoma and its prevalence in cancer biopsy samples from different geographic regions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Jun;80(12):3812–3815. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.12.3812. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fields S., Jang S. K. Presence of a potent transcription activating sequence in the p53 protein. Science. 1990 Aug 31;249(4972):1046–1049. doi: 10.1126/science.2144363. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Garcia J. A., Harrich D., Soultanakis E., Wu F., Mitsuyasu R., Gaynor R. B. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 LTR TATA and TAR region sequences required for transcriptional regulation. EMBO J. 1989 Mar;8(3):765–778. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb03437.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gius D., Grossman S., Bedell M. A., Laimins L. A. Inducible and constitutive enhancer domains in the noncoding region of human papillomavirus type 18. J Virol. 1988 Mar;62(3):665–672. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.3.665-672.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gorman C. M., Moffat L. F., Howard B. H. Recombinant genomes which express chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in mammalian cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1982 Sep;2(9):1044–1051. doi: 10.1128/mcb.2.9.1044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Grossman S. R., Mora R., Laimins L. A. Intracellular localization and DNA-binding properties of human papillomavirus type 18 E6 protein expressed with a baculovirus vector. J Virol. 1989 Jan;63(1):366–374. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.1.366-374.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ham J., Dostatni N., Arnos F., Yaniv M. Several different upstream promoter elements can potentiate transactivation by the BPV-1 E2 protein. EMBO J. 1991 Oct;10(10):2931–2940. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1991.tb07843.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hawley-Nelson P., Vousden K. H., Hubbert N. L., Lowy D. R., Schiller J. T. HPV16 E6 and E7 proteins cooperate to immortalize human foreskin keratinocytes. EMBO J. 1989 Dec 1;8(12):3905–3910. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb08570.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Huang H. C., Sundseth R., Hansen U. Transcription factor LSF binds two variant bipartite sites within the SV40 late promoter. Genes Dev. 1990 Feb;4(2):287–298. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.2.287. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Imperiale M. J., Hart R. P., Nevins J. R. An enhancer-like element in the adenovirus E2 promoter contains sequences essential for uninduced and E1A-induced transcription. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Jan;82(2):381–385. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.2.381. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ingles C. J., Shales M., Cress W. D., Triezenberg S. J., Greenblatt J. Reduced binding of TFIID to transcriptionally compromised mutants of VP16. Nature. 1991 Jun 13;351(6327):588–590. doi: 10.1038/351588a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lamberti C., Morrissey L. C., Grossman S. R., Androphy E. J. Transcriptional activation by the papillomavirus E6 zinc finger oncoprotein. EMBO J. 1990 Jun;9(6):1907–1913. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb08317.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Levine A. J., Momand J., Finlay C. A. The p53 tumour suppressor gene. Nature. 1991 Jun 6;351(6326):453–456. doi: 10.1038/351453a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Li R., Knight J. D., Jackson S. P., Tjian R., Botchan M. R. Direct interaction between Sp1 and the BPV enhancer E2 protein mediates synergistic activation of transcription. Cell. 1991 May 3;65(3):493–505. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90467-d. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Lin Y. S., Green M. R. Mechanism of action of an acidic transcriptional activator in vitro. Cell. 1991 Mar 8;64(5):971–981. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90321-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Luckow B., Schütz G. CAT constructions with multiple unique restriction sites for the functional analysis of eukaryotic promoters and regulatory elements. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Jul 10;15(13):5490–5490. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.13.5490. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. MacDonald R. J., Swift G. H., Przybyla A. E., Chirgwin J. M. Isolation of RNA using guanidinium salts. Methods Enzymol. 1987;152:219–227. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(87)52023-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Mallon R. G., Wojciechowicz D., Defendi V. DNA-binding activity of papillomavirus proteins. J Virol. 1987 May;61(5):1655–1660. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.5.1655-1660.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. McKnight S. L., Kingsbury R. Transcriptional control signals of a eukaryotic protein-coding gene. Science. 1982 Jul 23;217(4557):316–324. doi: 10.1126/science.6283634. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Mitchell P. J., Wang C., Tjian R. Positive and negative regulation of transcription in vitro: enhancer-binding protein AP-2 is inhibited by SV40 T antigen. Cell. 1987 Sep 11;50(6):847–861. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90512-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Münger K., Phelps W. C., Bubb V., Howley P. M., Schlegel R. The E6 and E7 genes of the human papillomavirus type 16 together are necessary and sufficient for transformation of primary human keratinocytes. J Virol. 1989 Oct;63(10):4417–4421. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.10.4417-4421.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Nabel G. J., Rice S. A., Knipe D. M., Baltimore D. Alternative mechanisms for activation of human immunodeficiency virus enhancer in T cells. Science. 1988 Mar 11;239(4845):1299–1302. doi: 10.1126/science.2830675. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Nakajima N., Horikoshi M., Roeder R. G. Factors involved in specific transcription by mammalian RNA polymerase II: purification, genetic specificity, and TATA box-promoter interactions of TFIID. Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Oct;8(10):4028–4040. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.10.4028. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Nevins J. R. Mechanisms of viral-mediated trans-activation of transcription. Adv Virus Res. 1989;37:35–83. doi: 10.1016/s0065-3527(08)60832-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. O'Rourke R. W., Miller C. W., Kato G. J., Simon K. J., Chen D. L., Dang C. V., Koeffler H. P. A potential transcriptional activation element in the p53 protein. Oncogene. 1990 Dec;5(12):1829–1832. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Perrin S., Gilliland G. Site-specific mutagenesis using asymmetric polymerase chain reaction and a single mutant primer. Nucleic Acids Res. 1990 Dec 25;18(24):7433–7438. doi: 10.1093/nar/18.24.7433. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Pirisi L., Yasumoto S., Feller M., Doniger J., DiPaolo J. A. Transformation of human fibroblasts and keratinocytes with human papillomavirus type 16 DNA. J Virol. 1987 Apr;61(4):1061–1066. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.4.1061-1066.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Pugh B. F., Tjian R. Mechanism of transcriptional activation by Sp1: evidence for coactivators. Cell. 1990 Jun 29;61(7):1187–1197. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90683-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Rosen C. A., Sodroski J. G., Haseltine W. A. The location of cis-acting regulatory sequences in the human T cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III/LAV) long terminal repeat. Cell. 1985 Jul;41(3):813–823. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(85)80062-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Santoro C., Mermod N., Andrews P. C., Tjian R. A family of human CCAAT-box-binding proteins active in transcription and DNA replication: cloning and expression of multiple cDNAs. Nature. 1988 Jul 21;334(6179):218–224. doi: 10.1038/334218a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Scheffner M., Werness B. A., Huibregtse J. M., Levine A. J., Howley P. M. The E6 oncoprotein encoded by human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 promotes the degradation of p53. Cell. 1990 Dec 21;63(6):1129–1136. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90409-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Schiller J. T., Vass W. C., Lowy D. R. Identification of a second transforming region in bovine papillomavirus DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Dec;81(24):7880–7884. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.24.7880. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Schneider-Maunoury S., Croissant O., Orth G. Integration of human papillomavirus type 16 DNA sequences: a possible early event in the progression of genital tumors. J Virol. 1987 Oct;61(10):3295–3298. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.10.3295-3298.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Schwarz E., Freese U. K., Gissmann L., Mayer W., Roggenbuck B., Stremlau A., zur Hausen H. Structure and transcription of human papillomavirus sequences in cervical carcinoma cells. Nature. 1985 Mar 7;314(6006):111–114. doi: 10.1038/314111a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Sedman S. A., Barbosa M. S., Vass W. C., Hubbert N. L., Haas J. A., Lowy D. R., Schiller J. T. The full-length E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 16 has transforming and trans-activating activities and cooperates with E7 to immortalize keratinocytes in culture. J Virol. 1991 Sep;65(9):4860–4866. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.9.4860-4866.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Smith D. H., Kegler D. M., Ziff E. B. Vector expression of adenovirus type 5 E1a proteins: evidence for E1a autoregulation. Mol Cell Biol. 1985 Oct;5(10):2684–2696. doi: 10.1128/mcb.5.10.2684. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Smotkin D., Wettstein F. O. Transcription of human papillomavirus type 16 early genes in a cervical cancer and a cancer-derived cell line and identification of the E7 protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jul;83(13):4680–4684. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.13.4680. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Thierry F., Dostatni N., Arnos F., Yaniv M. Cooperative activation of transcription by bovine papillomavirus type 1 E2 can occur over a large distance. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Aug;10(8):4431–4437. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.8.4431. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Vousden K. H., Androphy E. J., Schiller J. T., Lowy D. R. Mutational analysis of bovine papillomavirus E6 gene. J Virol. 1989 May;63(5):2340–2342. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.5.2340-2342.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Watanabe S., Kanda T., Yoshiike K. Human papillomavirus type 16 transformation of primary human embryonic fibroblasts requires expression of open reading frames E6 and E7. J Virol. 1989 Feb;63(2):965–969. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.2.965-969.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Werness B. A., Levine A. J., Howley P. M. Association of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 E6 proteins with p53. Science. 1990 Apr 6;248(4951):76–79. doi: 10.1126/science.2157286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Yang Y. C., Okayama H., Howley P. M. Bovine papillomavirus contains multiple transforming genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Feb;82(4):1030–1034. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.4.1030. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Yasumoto S., Burkhardt A. L., Doniger J., DiPaolo J. A. Human papillomavirus type 16 DNA-induced malignant transformation of NIH 3T3 cells. J Virol. 1986 Feb;57(2):572–577. doi: 10.1128/jvi.57.2.572-577.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Zur Hausen H. Papillomaviruses in human cancers. Mol Carcinog. 1988;1(3):147–150. doi: 10.1002/mc.2940010302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. de Villiers E. M. Heterogeneity of the human papillomavirus group. J Virol. 1989 Nov;63(11):4898–4903. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.11.4898-4903.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES